X10 Community Forum
🔌General Home Automation => Original ActiveHome => Topic started by: jrwooden on April 01, 2006, 08:51:21 AM
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I have a CM11A controlled home.
It works "OK" but there are some reliability issues I can never track down
as they are so intermittant.
I bought a SignalLinc Repeater 4826B which improved things (I did have one
of the passive couplers), but now after having it installed for about 6
months I notice that occasionally the red "receive" LED will come on and
stay on on solid either one or both phases. (the green transmit light does NOT come on).
Running around the house turning things off and unplugging my CM11A does
not seem to help, but unplugging the 4826B for 5 minutes or so seems to
clear the issue (unplugging it and plugging it right back in does not
clear the issue). Any suggestions on this apprecaited.
Is the CM15A a recommended upgrade? Would it perhaps help my problems
either with better control signal broadcast and/or perhaps by using the built-in monitoring tools so
I could tell what is going crazy in the house?
THANKS for any suggestions!
Jim
troubleshooting tools?
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Could be noise or the repeater itself. I have two of them and both at times had a flickering Red LED. In my case the A Phase. Cycle the power all is well. One day just went away and has been fine for a few years now?
I had a new problem recently with garbaged messages and sometimes the Green Transmit LED Phase B stayed on. In my case traced to a defective RR501 Transceiver. New one was fine.
In my tests I had a TesterLinc and it showed things like bad start code bad crc and other things. New RR501 all is well. So if you have any way to monitor the powerline for things like messages being messed up it may help
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Thanks Brian!
I understand the CM15A has "monitoring" functions - do you know if it can monitor "bad" transmissions like TesterLinc or do I need to bite the bullet and get a "real" testerlinc? ::)
Jim
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I don't know if it shows bad messages. My cm15a is not in service right now.
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Thanks Brian!
I understand the CM15A has "monitoring" functions - do you know if it can monitor "bad" transmissions like TesterLinc or do I need to bite the bullet and get a "real" testerlinc? ::)
Jim
You are running Active Home, correct? I presume you are running Windows 9x or a Mac. The CMA15 is a USB unit that works only with Active Home Pro.
I need to know since this appears to be an Active Home issue.
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Yes, I'm running Active Home (not Pro) V1.4.2 under Windows XP Pro.
Thanks!
Jim
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PS: but for $50 I'd be MORE than willing to upgrade to AHP & the CM15A it it would make things better! ;D
Jim
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If XP isn't giving you hissy fits with the .com ports, I'd wait a while while X10 gets 100% of the various bugs out of the software. So far, just with the CM15A we've discovered it seems to not like USB2 ports in some cases. 2 of us who post here had a problem with the 15 vansihing from XP when on a USB2 port, but rock sold on a USB1 port. In my case, my USB2 ports are on a PCI card and the USB1 ports are on the motherboard. Nothing else USB based has any problems, not USB printers or anything else, except the 15. Even X10 is mystified by the two reports.
I'm experiencing a module status problem that appears to be AHP problem to be corrected.
If if you do decide to upgrade, back your .x10 files from AH up. They contain your modlules and timers. They can be imported into AHP and automaticly converted to .ahx files.
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The cm15a has about the same PowerLine Signal level as the older cm11a. So if the problem is noise or low signals in part of the home. It will not improve things. Though if you have the older Active Home running OK on XP. That is good news. Some loose connection on the serial port.
The cm15a does also have a transceiver in it for RF reception. Though mixed results on it's range. My early ones where poor distance wise. Newer ones I have not tested or have details on range.
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Thanks Brian & Dan!
It appears at this point the CM15A would be more llikely to drain my wallet and increase my frustration level rather than fix my problems :-\
I'm thinking I should invest in some diagnostic gear instead....
In the less than $100 range it looks like my choices are either the ELK ESM1 or the TesterLinc
The testerLinc seems to "do more" but ... maybe simpler is better.
With the ELK ESM1 interpretation of the readout seems simple....
no/low signal strength: look for X-10 sinks
high signal strengh but no valid X-10 indication: look for noise sources
high signal strengh AND valid X-10 indication: look for cold beverage
Any input appreciated,
Thanks,
Jim
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I have both units. Tough call as each shines at one or more tasks.
I believe you can download both units manuals from the respective sites and compare them. If you have the 1132B serial interface that would be a cost saving as the TesterLinc comes with or without the interface. The TesterLinc does have a X10 noise readout in pulses per second. The ESM-1 does see noise also, but I have seen some [used a scope and X10 isolator] noise on the ESM-1 that is not at the zero crossing where the X10 signals are timed from.
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Thanks Brian I have found the manual for the TesterLinc and looking for one now for the ESM1.
I see your point (as I understand it :D ) on the ESM1 reporting any/all noise in the x10 frequency range and not only during the zero-crossings of the AC wave.
I don't have the 1132 so would have to buy the more expensive "TesterLinc" kit, from reading the TesterLinc manual it does appear the unit can get wound up in its shorts more easily and require reset and a need to plug and unplug in proper order to avoid damage while the ESM1 appers to be a plug-and-go arrangement!
Thanks,
Jim
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The TesterLinc just must be connected to the 1132B Serial Interface before power up and the network type splitter can't be used. The 1132B also can act as a X10 PowerLine interface like the TW523 but also provide power. Yes to reset it you unplug the interface from the AC.
ESM-1 is compact and has two pieces. A wall wart supply that is wired into the small box with the bargraph LEDs and signal LED.
If you can't find the ESM-1 manual on the ELK site www.elkproducts.com. It is sold by other dealers that also have the manual on line.
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Hi Gang: Am having some problems with my 4826B as well. Everything was working fine with my Active Home Pro computer interface and my 4826B since February... but I just updated my Active Home Interface with some new times for a couple of my lamp modules and now my 4826B gets "hung" into a blinking mode... on both phases... it just keep on blinking until I unplug it and plug it in again. And then sometime during the day, it gets hung again. I have tried going back to my previous schedule, which I always save, and it still has the same problem... nothing in the house has changed from an electrical point of view nor from an appliance or anything else... so any ideas before I holler for SmartHome help? Many thanks
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Is the Red Line Signal and Green X10 Repeat Signal LEDs flashing or just the Red ones? The CM15A has been reported to get into a firestorm of repeated signals with a Leviton HCA01 [old memory here on the model number] and some also reported the Smarthome one does also.
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Just wanted to let the group know that after some considerable messing around I pinpointed the problem to an APC brand "Back-UPS Pro" UPS unit. For some reason the UPS was interacting with X-10 singnals & the repeater and causing some kind of endless loop /signal reflection. I have replaced the UPS with an APC smart-UPS and also put a line filter on cord powering the UPS.
That made life here good again.
Thanks for the assist!
Jim
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Well mine never caused a firestorm, but my APC BX1000 sucked up so much X10 signal I also used a 10 Amp X10 type filter on its AC Power Cord.
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Could be noise or the repeater itself. I have two of them and both at times had a flickering Red LED. In my case the A Phase. Cycle the power all is well. One day just went away and has been fine for a few years now?
I had a new problem recently with garbaged messages and sometimes the Green Transmit LED Phase B stayed on. In my case traced to a defective RR501 Transceiver. New one was fine.
In my tests I had a TesterLinc and it showed things like bad start code bad crc and other things. New RR501 all is well. So if you have any way to monitor the powerline for things like messages being messed up it may help
For me, it turned out that the 4826B does not play well with my LM14A 2-way Lamp Modules.
No problems with any of my other modules, just the LM14A's. :(
In playing around with it, the problem appears to be between the LM14A's trying to return status,
and the 4826 trying to repeat that status. The LM14A "sees" the repeat as a collision, and subsequently
tries to return status again. The 4826 tries to repeat it again. Etc. Etc. Until you unplug either
the LM14A or the 4826.